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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · chip · stock · branch · leaves · game · track · rash

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. rash — a series
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. game — wild animals
  10. stock — shares
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. track — to keep track
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — to eat
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. track — a path
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — goods
  22. rash — hasty
  23. chip — for betting
  24. track — a song

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com